It can easily remind us of our spiritual rebirth and the fresh start with have in our relationship with God. I think we can all agree that we are ready for some change. The kind of change that involves getting back to some level of "normal," which we know is relative, but still, we  long to return to it. We've heard the reports and statistics and that COVID isn't going anywhere anytime soon, but we can still move forward with life.   As a ministry, we are incrementally adding back services and activities. As Pastor announced we will begin in-person Wednesday night services starting Wednesday, March 3rd!!!! Then the next step is to add back in-person Sunday school on April 11th. Until then, we will continue to use ZOOM for our teen Sunday school class. For the teens, we are planning to attend ENGAGE Summer Camp at the end of June. As always, preparations for camp include fundraising! Since the Dinner & Auction was canceled last year after many donations already came in, that means we need less donations for this year. We will limit the number of in-person attenders due to COVID and due to having fewer teen workers. Parents will be asked to help if at all possible work the fundraiser. Full details for the Dinner & Auction can be found in the HF Events Calendar on the TBC website and App.  We also have been given some items that can be sold in a "virtual" rummage sale. If anyone is will to help please see Pastor Steve.

Bad to the Bone ~Romans 5:12
Objective:
Students will learn the true nature of the human condition and be challenged to humbly repent.
Key Thought: 
We are all bad to the bone.
Lesson Summary:
This lesson is the first of a four-part series on the topic of sin. Our series is called “Nailed: The Death of Sin.” We talked about how we are all “bad to the bone.”
Grave Digger is the name of a monster truck with a reputation of being “bad to the bone.” But we have the same reputation; we all have a sinful nature and commit sin in our words, thoughts, and actions. Every infant, every teen, and every parent is bad to the bone, totally depraved. This doesn’t mean that we could never do any good thing. It simply means that every part of us is corrupted by sin - our wills, our minds, and our bodies. The bottom line is that we are not basically good people who occasionally do bad things. God helps us see that we are basically bad (evil) people - totally depraved.
That was the bad news, but we didn’t leave your student with just bad news. We shared how Jesus came to save; He died for all of us who are “bad to the bone.” In this lesson, your student was challenged to admit his/her sinful condition to God and cry out to Jesus Christ for forgiveness and salvation if they have not already done so. They were also challenged to give thanks for their salvation and to help someone else find freedom from sin. Lastly, they were encouraged to humbly and honestly share their struggles and temptations with sin with other Christians who could help them battle sin well.
As you follow up with your student, let him/her know that you have similar struggles and you want to help him/her fight sin and please God. We are in this battle together. But remember that you, as the parent, are not only trying to protect your student from sin that is “out there” in the world (social media, bad friends, etc.) – the greater problem is sin in his/her heart. And for that, the only guaranteed solution is for God to change his/her desires. Pray hard that God helps him/her to desire Him more than the temptations of this world.

You Stink! ~Luke 18:14b
Objective:
Students will learn the dangers of self-righteousness and will choose to turn away from the desire to impress God with their religious performance.
Key Thought: 
The way up is down.
Lesson Summary:
This lesson is the second of a four-part series on the topic of sin. Our series is called “Nailed: The Death of Sin.” We talked about how self-righteousness is an offensive stench and if we are not careful our lives can reek with pride.
Just as your teen may go “nose blind” (become desensitized) to the odors of their gym clothes or armpits, so any sinner can go “nose blind” to the spiritual odors of pride. The Bible calls this smell “self-righteousness.” Interestingly, those who struggle with it the most are usually the last to realize it.
We made it our aim today to recognize the terrible smells of self-righteous pride and how to get rid of it. We also sought to create a desire for heart-level change (humility). As you follow up with your student, consider asking about some of the ways they’ve learned self-righteous pride creeps up in our lives and what they can do to get rid of their spiritual odor.
While it can be good and healthy for your teen to take pride in his or her work (doing their best) or to have pride in others, beware of the temptation to take pride in themselves. This is a big struggle for teens, but also for parents. To foster humility in your home and kill self- righteous pride, try practicing two spiritual exercises this week: 1) Confess your faults to one another and seek forgiveness when merited. 2) Try giving thanks and not complaining about others’ faults for at least one hour.
At the end of the lesson, we challenged your student to volunteer to be the person who takes the trash out of the house for the next month. They were encouraged to spend time talking to God about self-righteousness every time they collect the trash. If guilty of self- righteousness, they were challenged to spend time confessing. As the trash is thrown away, they are to remind themselves that self-righteousness is no better than what is being thrown away. Finally, your teen was encouraged to thank God for the righteousness of Jesus Christ that was applied to their lives by trusting Christ as Savior.

Sons of Liberty ~Galatians 5:13
Objective:
Students will learn the freedom Christ offers and will allow their love for Christ to be the motivator for obedience to Him.
Key Thought: 
Christ sets us free to enjoy true liberty.
Lesson Summary:
This lesson is the third of a four-part series on the topic of sin. Our series is called “Nailed: The Death of Sin.” Tonight, we studied Galatians 5:1-15 and discovered that Christ alone sets His children free to enjoy true liberty. Religious systems and wrong thinking can enslave us to a performance-based approval, but Christ sets us free by loving us graciously.
Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and graciously gave His life for us to pay for our sin. Your student was encouraged to live in a way that is consistent with the freedom Christ offers and to avoid the spiritual trap of believing that our performance makes God love us more. Salvation is all of grace or it is not of grace at all. When Christ sets us free, He wants us to enjoy true liberty by fully embracing His grace.
Freedom in Christ also has the ability to stabilize your teen when they feel insecure in their relationship with God (and other human authorities). The pressure teens feel today is great, and they often struggle with feeling like they need to earn God’s love through praying more, witnessing more, reading their Bible more, etc. This leads to spiritual slavery because there is always more to do. Please try to encourage your teen several times this week that God loves them for who they are in Christ, not for how good they are.
This week might also be an opportune time to think about your own relationship with your teen. Does he/she feel loved by you because they are your child or because of how well they are meeting your expectations for them? It’s almost never a bad time to remind your child that they are loved for who they are, not because of what they do!

Do You See What I See? ~Luke 19:10
Objective:
Students will learn of the loving compassion of Jesus that overcomes the guilt and shame of sin and seek to see their world through the eyes of Christ.
Key Thought: 
No one is beyond the help and hope of Jesus.
Lesson Summary:
This lesson is the fourth of a four-part series on the topic of sin. Our series is called “Nailed: The Death of Sin.” We talked about how to see others the way Jesus saw them.
Jesus had a fundamentally different view of sinners than the world in which He lived. He saw no one as too far gone or beyond His help. Today we were refreshed by studying how Jesus gave special attention to people like Zacchaeus, a woman caught in adultery, and a group of hated tax collectors – people that others thought were too far gone spiritually to have any hope. Jesus had a reputation for being their friend; do we?
Your student was challenged to look at the world through God’s eyes instead of being preoccupied with their phones or personal agendas. The goal was to help students seek out the lost, learn their story, pray for them, and offer help and hope through Christ. This week, as a family, talk through how to have the compassionate eyes of Jesus and the wisdom to avoid sin.
As you guide your teen in seeing the world through the eyes of Christ, beware of the temptation to over-protect. At the same time, it’s risky to allow a teen to have meaningful contact with unsaved people. We don’t want to naively or passively let our kids be ruined by negative influences. The goal is to point lost people to the hope and help of Christ, not to become like them in the name of “reaching them.” As parents, keep a healthy blend of praying hard, keeping Jesus as our model, and talking a lot with your teens. Make this journey together and in full dependence on God for guidance.